IT is not often that you get to experience college life inside one of the most luxurious villages in the city, especially for someone from an underprivileged neighborhood. The stark contrast between commuting from the ever-polluted area of Starmall Alabang to the lush, evergreen streets of Alabang Hills can be quite jarring, leaving me with  mixed feelings about our campus's location.

     Do I like it? Yes. Do I hate it? Also yes. Let me explain:

     The safety that a gated community offers to San Beda College Alabang is its biggest perk. Not having to worry about getting kidnapped or robbed outside the campus is a privilege, especially after hearing alarming stories of violence from friends and peers attending other colleges and universities. 

     The ambiance inside Alabang Hills is also something I enjoy. Paralleled by lavish multi-story homes, the well-kept foliage adorning Don Manolo Boulevard somewhat eases my academic stress. I guess this feeling is emphasized because I did not grow up surrounded by the luxuries of an exclusive village.

     That said, the hassle of experiencing traffic in Alabang Hills is its biggest flaw. Having your college situated inside a village with narrow streets and an influx of vehicles going inside and out is a recipe for angry preschool parents and college students who appear to have just finished an eight-hour class schedule despite only being in their first class of the day. I don't know what the underlying problem is or what possible solution will resolve it; I just know that there’s something fundamentally wrong with this setup. 

     Yes, Alabang Hills feels peaceful and calm, but sometimes that serene feeling becomes an existential dilemma. I would think, “I could probably not afford any house in this village in my lifetime,” and that thought would leave me feeling inadequate. 

     Even with the safety and serenity of Alabang Hills, a sense of “off-campus culture” is missing, and I can’t help but wonder what my college life would look like somewhere different. Naive as it may sound, I yearn for rows and rows of street food outside the campus. I long for the hustle and bustle of a major city and the college experience glamorously portrayed in Tiktok videos. I won’t experience these in San Beda, and I’ve slowly come to terms with that. 

     But hey, at least I'm safe, right?